The Best Beijing Spring Date Ideas for Every Budget

It’s getting warmer, and love is in the air. All you’ve got to do is hope that your partner doesn’t read this blog, or else they’ll know it wasn’t your idea, but mine, and that's not romantic at all. So, do as any loving spouse should do and lie, lie, lie and take credit for some of the best spring date ideas in Beijing.

READ: Beijing's Most Romantic Restaurants

Go for a Walk Through Jingshan Park
Spring is the best time to visit Jingshan Park, the towering pile of dirt that once made up the non-water part of Houhai and now sits majestically smack-dab in the middle of Beijing and provides a great view of the Forbidden City and all the way up to Gulou. Your only task? Pick a good air day. Nothing is worse and non-romantic than walking up the mountain to a non-view and heavy wheezing. Best time of day? Sunset, hands down. If you wait until April, you'll even be able to enjoy the beautiful peonies (See above). Entry to the park is RMB 2 so this is your best option if you're on a tight budget or are homeless.
Cost: ¥ 

Explore 798 Art District
Art galleries galore, 798 can be a good escape from the city and makes for nice strolls with a combination of outside and inside. Check our event listings ahead of time for some good exhibitions currently running. Most galleries are free for you to wander around, but avoid coming on a Monday when most of the larger ones are shut. Looking for a quieter alternative? Head to Caochangdi instead.
Cost: ¥

National Museum of China
The National Museum of China is hosting some of the British Museum's collection: A History of The World in 100 Objects, from March 2 to May 31. Show your significant other just how clever you are by impressing them with your knowledge of world history.
Cost: ¥ - ¥¥

Get a Boat on Houhai
Row, row, row your boat gently through Houhai. Make it even more special by preparing a picnic with your significant other's favorite snacks and drinks (classic), and extend the date by going for a walk through the hutongs. If you’re looking to go for a drink afterwards, we don’t recommend doing so at Houhai, but instead head to Amilal off Guloudong Dajie or hit up Fangjia Hutong for a plethora of beer and cocktail options.
Cost: ¥ - ¥¥

Get Out to Xiangshan
For active couples, save for a clear day and bike out to Xiangshan for a great city escape that won't drain you so much as to put a damper the fireworks later. If you’re not up for the bike ride (which can take 2-3 hours depending on your bike and your speed), you can also get bus 53 from Exit A of Beigongmen Station on Line 4. Make the bus 53 ride a straight shot to your lover's heart by preparing a pillow and dutifully dribbling on them throughout the journey.
Cost: ¥¥

Have Dinner or Drinks with a View
Grill 79 (which as you may have guessed, sources its name from the floor that it is located on) is just one of Beijing's restaurants with an amazing view, but I'd go out on a limb and say it is the best view of town. China World Summit Wing’s Atmosphere Bar is also great, and while they’re not the cheapest options to wine and dine someone special, if you’re looking to splurge this is where to do it.
Cost: ¥¥¥

Go and See Wicked
Get tickets to go and see Wicked at the Tianqiao Theater in May (okay, this might be more of a summer suggestion, but you can still present the tickets in spring). 
Cost: ¥¥¥

Staycation at the Great Wall
Spend the day on the UNESCO World Heritage site that is the Great Wall (pictured at top), and spend the evening at the Brickyard by the Great Wall. Best done when the weather is still cool at night so you can cozy up around the fire.
Cost: ¥¥¥

For many more ideas like this, check our full events listings here.

More stories by this author here.

Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

Photos: beijingman, asiatour.se, Wikimedia, Margaux Schreurs, pinterest, enteringtheworld.blogspot.com, courtesy of Brickyard